


How Will I Know

by DizzilySpiraling



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Nanny, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-25 20:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17732246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzilySpiraling/pseuds/DizzilySpiraling
Summary: Zhenya tries to be a good husband, but their new nanny is making that kind of difficult.Sidney Crosby a blessing and a curse, truly. When Anya first brought up hiring a nanny, Zhenya was picturing someone a bit more matronly, more Russian, less….handsome.





	How Will I Know

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MindtheGap](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MindtheGap/gifts).



> For 8771eh, hope you enjoy!

Zhenya tries to be a good man, he really does. He works hard, tries to be a supportive captain to his team, a good husband and provider for his family, and likes to think he does a good job most days. But sometimes, the universe is intent on challenging him. 

Their new nanny is simultaneously the best and worst thing to happen to their little family. 

Sidney Crosby a blessing and a curse, truly. When Anya first brought up hiring a nanny, Zhenya was picturing someone a bit more matronly, more Russian, less….handsome. 

_“If the whole house is Russian he’ll never learn English, Zhenya.”_

Then Sid shows up, bright eyes, pink cheeks, his ridiculous laugh, and Zhenya starts to feel a troubling flutter in his chest. What’s even more concerning is that the entire family loves him. And really, how could they not?

Sid’s a natural with Nikita, and much to Zhenya’s surprise, gets on with Anya like a house on fire. It takes Sid a bit of time to get comfortable and settle into their household. When he first started, Sid would always stay in his own room after putting down Nikita, as if he was afraid of getting in their way. But as he became more comfortable with their family, Sid starts hanging out with them in the evenings, talking about things outside of childcare. Him and Anya quickly bond over their mutual love of house renovation shows, and Zhenya often hears them from the next room over, shouting at the tv together.

Zhenya in turn learns about Sid’s family, chirps him rooting for the Habs, and finds out about his sweet tooth when they bump into each other in the kitchen one night. He comes into the kitchen after a long road-trip, wanting a quick snack before crashing for the next twenty hours, but is confronted with Sid’s ass sticking out of the kitchen cupboards. More specifically, Sid is dressed in soft pyjamas and bent over to root around in the cupboards, and Zhenya can’t resist messing with him a little.

“Nikita going to know if you steal his jam cookies.” Zhenya says, leaning against the counter and seriously regretting not taking a video when he see Sid visibly jump and then curse when he bumps his head. Zhenya only laughs after making sure that Sid was okay and didn’t seriously injure himself. 

Sid gives him a slightly guilty look once he picks himself up off the floor, package of incriminating cookies in hand. “I won’t say anything to Anna about you sneaking McDonald’s breakfast if you forget you saw this?” 

Zhenya pretends to consider before holding out his hand. “Is deal. You always sneak around middle of night? Snack thief?” 

Sid takes his hand and shakes firmly, ducking his head in a laugh. “No, not always. Niki was a ball of energy tonight and got up a half dozen times before he finally stayed in bed. I think he just wanted to see Papa get home.”

Zhenya’s heart aches at the thought, and Sid lays a warm hand on his arm as though he could tell what Zhenya was thinking.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. He’s little and he loves you, but he’s also starting to get a grasp on why Papa is away sometimes, you know?” Sid slides the tray of cookies out of the package and offers him one. 

“Is hard, wish could explain more to him.” Zhenya takes one, recognizing Sid’s attempt at a gesture of comfort.

“We watched all your games, Niki insisted. Even though the Habs were playing at the same time on Saturday.” Sid teases.

“Because we best. Stupid Habs, when they win last? No chance this year, so bad.” Zhenya’s lips curl into a smile, perfectly aware that he was inciting a lecture from Sid. 

Predictably, Sid protests loudly at the slight on his childhood team, and launches into how they’re rebuilding and how Price is the best thing since sliced bread and how he really thinks this is their year. 

“Anyway, stop distracting me! I was talking to you about Niki. He looks up to you a lot you know. Every time we play mini sticks he always makes me get in the net so he could be like Papa and score goals.”

Zhenya laughs and bumps their shoulders together. “You good goalie?” 

“God no. Niki scores on me all the time and I’m actually trying my hardest.” Sid says earnestly.

“Is because you eat too many cookie. Too slow.” Zhenya teases, and the two of them fall into giggles together before shushing each other. When they finally straighten and gather themselves, Zhenya can’t help but think that Sid looks particularly good like this, in the warm glow of the kitchen, eyes crinkling with laughter. It’s a particularly dangerous thought to have. 

He tries to be a good husband, a good father, and that doesn’t involve thinking about how he’d be able to taste jam if he pressed Sid against the counter to kiss him. 

“I’m go to bed, long flight. Don’t steal too many cookies.” Stepping back is like a cold shock to his system, Zhenya hasn’t even realized they were pressed together shoulder to shoulder as they shared their stolen treats. He can count on one hand the number of times he’s touched Sid. A solid handshake when they were first interviewing him, a hand squeezing his shoulder when Zhenya had come home after a particularly tough loss, and then tonight. 

“Yeah, get some rest. I told Niki Papa might be up for a trip to the zoo tomorrow.” Sid grins at him, sneaking one more cookie out of the package before turning to go back to his room. 

By the time Zhenya crawls into bed, he’s taken a long shower to try and collect himself. Anya stirs and turns towards him. “Zhenya?”

“You expect somebody else?” 

“I heard you and Sid downstairs, thought you would never come up.” Anya yawns, shuffling so she could lay her head on his chest. 

Zhenya lays in silence, unsure of how to answer that. “Did you know he eats Nikita’s cookies?”

“Sugar to maintain his ass probably.” Anya retorts, blinking open her eyes to look at him. “You’re not subtle at all when you look at him.” 

“Anechka…” Zhenya’s ready with a half dozen apologies before Anya shushes him with a finger against his mouth. 

“Go to sleep, stupid man. I’m not mad. I can see he’s handsome and that he’s charmed the pants off of you, I’m not blind.” Anyway yawns again and shuts her eyes, casual as anything.

“Yes, I can definitely go to sleep after that.” Zhenya grumbled, wrapping an arm around her back. 

“You deserve it for waking me up with Sid’s goose laugh.” 

And, yeah, that’s probably fair. 

~

Zhenya gets dragged to the zoo despite his many protests about being exhausted. And because the universe seems to enjoy his suffering, it’s almost a whole day of watching Sid walking around with flushed cheeks being cute with his son. 

Currently he’s in charge of pushing the stroller while Anya takes photos, and Sid’s got Nikita on his hip while they look into the bear enclosure. “Yeah buddy good job.” Zhenya hears Sid say. “Three bears altogether, you’ve even got the one that’s napping over there by the water.”

“Is Papa.” Nikita smiles, pointing to it. Anya and Sid both burst into laughter before turning to look back at Zhenya who has done nothing to deserve this level of disrespect. 

“Yeah bud, exactly like Papa. Look they both nap with their mouths open.” 

“How you know what I’m look like when I nap?” Zhenya grumbles.

“You’re always drooling on the couch when me and Anna are trying to watch Property Brothers.” Sid looks to Anya for backup, and she nods. “See? Two against one. Three against one, actually.” 

“Could be home drooling on couch right now.” Zhenya doesn’t know why everybody was ganging up on him all of a sudden, he’s supposed to be the head of the household, which he voiced much to the amusement of his audience. 

“Come on head of household, I think the tigers are this way.” Anya led the way away from the bear exhibit, listening to Nikita and Sid babble about the other ways Papa was a bear. 

“You know he looks too.” Anya says to him while they’re in line for ice cream, and Zhenya has to look over his shoulder to make sure Sid was a good distance away. “Relax, you look more suspicious doing that. You know we talk about you while you’re gone.” 

“Talk about _what_?” Zhenya looks at her. 

“Don’t look at me like that. I haven’t told him you stare at his ass in swim trunks or anything.” God, apparently Zhenya has all the subtlety of a marching band. “I was just telling him about all the ridiculous things you used to do, delivering tigers and giant stuffed animals. You should thank me really, I was basically telling him all about what a good boyfriend you are.” 

“Anya…what are you doing?” 

“Who says I’m doing anything?” Anya switches to English when they get back to the seating area with a few ice cream sundaes in hand. “Sid, you think Zhenya is good boyfriend yes?” 

“Uh, yeah?” Sid looks a little surprised by the topic. “I mean you told me he used to take you on all these elaborate dates and buy you all these presents and stuff. He definitely put in a lot more effort than my ex, that’s for sure.” 

“We should find you somebody nice. Go on nice dates, get spoil little bit.” Anya suggests. 

“Ha, yeah. I meet so many eligible dudes at the playground.” Sid laughs self-deprecatingly. “It is what it is.”

“I find for you! What you like?” Anya insists, and Zhenya is being tortured. 

“Oh god. Uh. I’m not all that picky.” Sid takes a scoop of his ice cream, looking around and trying to escape the conversation. “I guess, I don’t know. Someone kind?”

“Everyone want kind. Come on, need detail. You like tall? Short? Good dresser?”

“Sure. Tall’s good. Kinda built, I guess?” Tortured, Zhenya is literally being tortured. “I guess I’d like somebody that’s driven but also doesn’t take themselves too seriously, can take a joke and have a good time.”

Anya pretends to mull it over while she takes another bite of her ice cream. “I keep looking for you. Find you best boyfriend.”

Zhenya waits until Sid is walking ahead with Nikita again before confronting Anya about her motives. 

“Maybe I like creating drama in my life. Maybe I’m bored. Or maybe I’m sick of you two looking at each other and then nothing happening.” And before Zhenya could even begin to ask what she means by ‘happening’, she gestures to Sid walking in front of them. “If you don’t do something I’m going to have to. He’s so pretty, Zhenya, it’s exhausting having to live with him.”

“You… do what?” 

“Remember for your birthday that one year? With Masha?” She raises one eyebrow at him. 

“You want with Sid?” They haven’t done that in a long time, definitely not since they’ve been married, or lives full time with them.

“Yes. But he’s so polite. Every time I wear my bikini to tan he looks away and leaves the pool.” Anya sighs, and Zhenya has to commend Sid for resisting her. He knows first hand how persistent she could be.

“And how long have you been trying to seduce the nanny?” He asks. 

“Since that time you gave him the team shirt with your name on the back ‘for good luck’” She shoots back at him.

“Have I said you’re the best wife ever?” Zhenya really has no defence for that, except that it kills him every time Sid wears it around the house. 

She turns her head and smiles knowingly at him. “I know.” And then leaves him with the stroller and her bag while she catches up with Nikita and Sid at mountain goat exhibit. 

~  
In the end, Zhenya doesn’t get to use any of the carefully planned out speeches he’s been drafting in his head. He’s actually the one that gets sat down by Sid and Anya at the kitchen table. Anya pours him a whiskey while Sid summarizes the ‘talk’ she apparently had with him while Zhenya was gone. 

“Why you keep telling me do something if you’re going to do everything?” Zhenya turns to look at her.

“You told me I had to be the one to make the first move!” Sid squawks out at the same time. 

Anya just looks at the both of them and gestures in between. “I talk Zhenya he do nothing, say oh have to wait have to be careful what we say to Sid. Talk to Sid and nothing say oh your marriage don’t want interrupt.”

“Well… I was trying to be respectful.” And, really, Zhenya shouldn’t find Sid’s bashful look that attractive.

“We’re adults, there’s no use for all this.” Anya insisted.” You like us, we like you. We go on date, see if it work, yes?” 

Zhenya was starting to think he wasn’t the head of the household after all.

They take their time, even though sometimes Zhenya is tempted to press fond kisses to Sid’s sleepy face in the morning or to ask him to join in when he’s cuddling Anya on the sofa. He takes Sid out, both with and without Anya, and he knows they have their own dates when he’s busy. His favourite dates are when it’s just the three of them at home, lingering at the dinner table over a bottle of wine, talking about everything and nothing at all.

Their life went on much the same way, except one day Sid takes a hold of his wrist as he was about to leave for a game. “Good luck, G. Play hard.” 

“Always play hard. You watch?” Sid’s never seen him off at the door before, though Zhenya can’t say that this isn’t a welcome change. 

“Yeah, of course. Habs aren’t playing tonight.” Sid grins, and quickly tips his head up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Don’t take dumb penalties. I’ll see you when you get home.” 

Zhenya grabs Sid before he can escape, and returns the kiss to the palm of his hand. “If I score tonight you know you have to do this before every game.”

“I don’t think you’ll have any trouble scoring tonight.” Sid giggles and pulls his hand away to go back into the house. 

Turns out, that’s pretty good motivation. Zhenya plays with a fire under him and tallies up a pair of goals and an assist, begging off the celebration after in favour of getting home as fast as possible. It’s worth incurring any speeding tickets when he comes home to the sight of Sid and Anya together on the couch, his head pillowed in her lap. 

“What, no welcome party?” Zhenya braces his hands on the back of the couch to look down at the two of them together, cozy as anything.

Anya rolls her eyes at him and tips her head up for a kiss, which Zhenya gladly indulges. Sid’s watching the whole exchange from Anya’s lap, and bites his lip before pushing himself up. 

“Hey, what about me?” He grins, tipping his chin up too. 

Zhenya very carefully frames Sid’s face between his hands, brushing a thumb over one cheekbone before kissing him, softly. Once, twice, before Sid’s pushing a hand into his hair and tugging him down for more. His back is aching from the awkward lean, but he can’t seem to pull himself away. 

“He’s good at that, isn’t he?” Anya smirks from where she’s sitting, and Zhenya looks between the both of them until Sid ducks his head, cheeks flushing. 

“You two start without me?” 

“The intermission report got kinda boring.” Sid shrugs, and Anya takes the opportunity to dart forward and kiss him. 

“See? We do replay for you. Not miss anything.” Anya takes Sid’s hand and nods at the staircase. “You come upstairs with us?”

“Yeah. But it looks like G’s about to drop off any second.” Sid laughs, squeezing her hand and pulling her up with him. “We should probably get him to bed. You coming?” They look over at him halfway up the stairs, and what choice did Zhenya have but to follow. 

~

When he wakes, he’s got Anya pressed against his back and Sid all warm tucked in his arms. It would be an otherwise perfect morning if not for Sid poking him in the stomach. 

“Let me up, sleepy bear. I gotta go to the bathroom.” Sid grumbles at him, but makes up for it by dropping a kiss to his nose when he gets out. Of course, the view of his bare ass walking away isn’t half bad either. 

Zhenya dozes off in the time it takes Sid to get back. And apparently that’s all the time it takes for Anya to commandeer Sid, straddling his lap and draw him into lazy morning kisses. “You start without me again?”

“You looked tired.” Sid says between kisses, giggling into Anya’s mouth. “Thought we’d let you sleep.” 

“How long before we have to get up?”

Sid spares a look at the clock and tugs Zhenya closer toward them. “We’ve got time.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [tumblr](https://puckbaes.tumblr.com/)  
>  to look at pretty people and occasionally yell about hockey games.


End file.
